Trends in injury and death in motor vehicle accidents in Australia in relation to the introduction of random breath testing

Abstract

Abstract: Mortality from motor vehicle accidents fell substantially in New South Wales following the introduction of random breath testing for alcohol. No similar trend was observed in other Australian states and territories in which random breath testing has been introduced, except perhaps the Australian Capital Territory, and the fall in mortality over the period of its introduction was greater overall in areas in which it was not introduced than those in which it was. A contradictory pattern was observed in injury rates from motor vehicle accidents. There was again a substantial fall in New South Wales following the introduction of random breath testing, but this was sufficiently great to produce an overall fall in injury rates in states and territories adopting this measure in the 1980s that was greater than in those that did not. There was little evidence to suggest, however, that other states or territories that introduced the measure had benefited with respect to injury rates. Differences in vigour of implementation and the effects of other control measures are likely to explain these paradoxical and contradictory patterns.